DIY vs Professional Laminate Flooring Installation
Laying laminate yourself costs $556 to $1,756 in materials for 400 sq ft (planks, underlayment and 10% waste) plus $67.96 in hand tools, against $1,356 to $2,956 installed. The saving is the labour: $800 to $1,200 at Home Depot's published $2.00 to $3.00 per sq ft. Shelf and tool prices checked October 2026.
Updated 22 October 2026. How we priced this.
DIY Laminate Flooring Cost vs Installed, by Room
| Floor | DIY materials | Installed | Labour you save |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12x12 bedroom | $200 to $632 | $488 to $1,064 | $288 to $432 |
| 16x20 living room | $444 to $1,404 | $1,084 to $2,364 | $640 to $960 |
| 400 sq ft | $556 to $1,756 | $1,356 to $2,956 | $800 to $1,200 |
| 1,000 sq ft | $1,389 to $4,389 | $3,389 to $7,389 | $2,000 to $3,000 |
Budget planks at the low end, premium at the high end. Tools, removal, trim and moving furniture are not in these totals.
Price Your Own Floor
Enter your room and state. The result shows the installed total and, beside it, what the job costs if you lay it yourself: everything except the labour lines.
DIY Tools and What They Cost
| Tool | What it does | Floor & Decor price |
|---|---|---|
| Pacesetter Laminate Flooring Installation Kit | Tapping block, pull bar and 30 wedge spacers, with instructions | $19.99 |
| Goldblatt Retractable Folding Utility Knife | Scoring and trimming underlayment | $9.99 |
| Goldblatt 16oz. Hickory Handle White Rubber Mallet | Driving the tapping block and pull bar | $9.99 |
| Goldblatt Gel Comfort Pro Knee Pads | A floor is laid on your knees | $27.99 |
| Hand tools, total | The four lines above | $67.96 |
Saws and heavier pieces (optional)
| Tool | Notes | Floor & Decor price |
|---|---|---|
| DeWalt 20V Max XR Jigsaw | Curves, notches, door casings; check whether a battery is included | $239.00 |
| DeWalt 20V 7 1/4in. Sliding Miter Saw Kit | Straight end cuts and trim; includes battery and charger | $499.00 |
| Goldblatt Pro Tapping Block | Separate heavier tapping block | $15.99 |
| Goldblatt Pro Pull Bar | Separate heavier pull bar | $15.99 |
| Goldblatt Pro Laminate Spacers, 100 pack | Expansion-gap spacers | $24.99 |
A saw you already own, or one borrowed or rented, removes the biggest line. Rental rates are set by each store, so ask yours.
DIY or Hire a Pro?
| Job | Lean | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Rectangular bedroom, click-lock planks | DIY | Straight rows, one door, no cabinets; see bedroom laminate cost |
| Open-plan living area | DIY if you have the time | More cuts at doorways and transitions; see living room laminate cost |
| Kitchen | Either | Cuts around cabinets and appliances; see kitchen laminate cost |
| Stairs | Pro | Each tread, riser and nose cut and glued on its own; see laminate stairs cost |
| Old floor to take up, subfloor out of level | Pro, or price it first | Removal averages $1.95/sq ft at Home Depot; see floor removal cost |
What a Professional Quote Covers
Home Depot publishes $2.00 to $3.00 per sq ft for laminate installation and $2.49 per sq ft for basic installation of click-lock flooring, with additional services priced separately. The extras it names are old-floor removal ($1.95 per sq ft on average) and furniture moving ($35 for up to six large pieces). When comparing quotes, ask each installer to price the same lines: labour per sq ft, underlayment, removal, trim, furniture, and disposal. Labour by state is on the laminate labor cost page.
Common Questions
How much does DIY laminate flooring cost?
For 400 sq ft, planks and underlayment cost $556 to $1,756, budget to premium, with 10% added for waste (Home Depot and Floor & Decor shelf prices, October 2026). Hand tools add $67.96 at Floor & Decor: an installation kit at $19.99 plus a utility knife, a rubber mallet and knee pads. The same floor installed costs $1,356 to $2,956.
How much do you save installing laminate yourself?
The labour. Home Depot publishes $2.00 to $3.00 per sq ft for laminate installation, so a 400 sq ft room saves $800 to $1,200 and a 12x12 bedroom $288 to $432. Take off what you spend on tools you do not already own.
What tools do I need to install laminate flooring?
For click-lock planks: a tapping block, a pull bar and spacers (Floor & Decor sells all three as the Pacesetter kit for $19.99), a utility knife, a rubber mallet, knee pads, a tape measure and a saw. A cordless jigsaw is $239 and a cordless 7 1/4 in sliding miter saw kit $499 at Floor & Decor; a saw you already own will do.
What does a professional laminate installer charge?
Home Depot publishes $2.00 to $3.00 per sq ft for installation and $2.49 per sq ft for basic installation of click-lock flooring, with additional services priced separately. It lists old-floor removal at $1.95 per sq ft on average and furniture moving at $35 for up to six large pieces.
When should I hire a pro instead?
Stairs, glue-down planks, a subfloor that is out of level, and rooms with many doorways, cabinets or angles. Stairs are priced per step and each tread, riser and stair nose is cut and glued on its own; our stairs page sets out the sums. A rectangular bedroom with click-lock planks is the simplest case.